


maybe you're not the one for me, but that's okay

by egnlotsc



Series: Pheobe Larson's CHB Experience [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, POV Original Character, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:20:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27436474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/egnlotsc/pseuds/egnlotsc
Summary: "Pheobe told herself to leave, but she was too curious, so she stayed where she was and waited. "Hey, Sunshine," Leo exclaimed with a large grin as a gorgeous girl with familiar auburn hair and brown eyes walked up to him."New camper Phoebe Larson arrives at camp and developes a crush on the one person she can't have.-or the one where Pheobe experiences her own little heartbreak, but it's more than okay in the end
Relationships: Calypso & Leo Valdez, Katie Gardner/Travis Stoll
Series: Pheobe Larson's CHB Experience [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028112
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	maybe you're not the one for me, but that's okay

Phoebe stood at the enterance to the dining pavilion, biting her lip. Only four hours ago, she had been sitting at home, waiting for her dad to come home from work so they could eat take out and watch HGTV for the fifth time that week. But all of that changed when her best friend Simon burst through the door, his clothes all torn and covered in cuts and bruises. She quickly discovered that he was a saytr, sent to protect her until she was ready to come to Camp Half-Blood, the only safe place for demigods like her. She hadn't been claimed yet, but it would explain why she had never met her mom, who had left her a week after she was born. 

Although she wasn't opposed to the camp itself, she missed her dad more than anything. Chiron had promised that she would be allowed to visit her dad from time to time, but she had to remain at camp for a few more weeks to become accustomed and to her learn her true parentage. She took a deep breath before stepping into the pavilion, which was much more crowded than she expected. 

Each table was overflowing with kids all around her age, laughing and eating. A few satyrs and nymphs, who she was still having a hard time believing existed, were running around clearing plates and talking to campers. Chiron had told Pheobe to sit at the Hermes table, where all of the new campers sat until the were claimed. She slowly made her way over, trying not to make eye contact as she sat down next to a girl that looked around her age who was rolling her eyes at something the boy next to her was saying. 

The girl had long, wheat-colored blonde hair and bright green eyes that reminded Pheobe of a field during a summer day. She smiled when she noticed Pheobe, turning to face her. "Hello! Are you new here?" Pheobe nodded, a small smile crossing her face. The girl's sweet demeanor helped calm her nerves. "I'm Katie, daughter of Demeter."

Pheobe shook her hand, her head swirling with questions. "Pheobe. I'm unclaimed. Isn't this the Hermes table?" Katie smiled, nodding. "It is, but my boyfriend Travis is a son of Hermes. Chiron usually doesn't mind if couples sit together," she explained, motioning towards the boy next to her. He had short brown hair, and a face that spelled trouble. Pheobe laughed. "That's nice, I bet it makes things easier."

Katie grinned, jabbing Travis in the side as he tried to snatch a piece of bread off of her plate. He grimaced, shooting Katie a hurt look until she sighed, leaning over and kissing him quickly before turning back to Pheobe. Pheobe's heart ached at the sight. She had always wanted a boyfriend, but was never able to connect with anyone.

Katie pushed an empty glass plate towards Pheobe, followed by a large cup that reminded Pheobe of a cup from mythology. Then again, her mother was apparently a goddess, so it probably WAS from mythology. "The plate and the cup are magic. Just say out loud what you would like to eat and drink, and they'll magically appear on your plate. Makes dinner a lot easier." Pheobe stared at the plate in wonder. "Um..." she thought back to her favorite meal with her dad, trying to ignore the pain in her heart. "Fried rice with crab sauce and pink lemonade." She watched as the food appeared on her plate, steam rising off of it. 

Pheobe grinned. "Wow, that's awesome," she said as she took a tentative sip from the cup, her mouth watering as the familiar taste registered. Katie smiled, taking a small bite of her green beans. "I think you'll like it here." Pheobe nodded hesitantly. She hoped Katie was right. 

**

Pheobe settled into her seat in front of the campfire, watching the other campers silently as she waited for Chiron to start his speech. Her heart was beating quickly as everyone sat down. Katie had mentioned that the campfire was when new campers were claimed by their godly parents. Pheobe was trying to wrap her head around the thought when someone sat next to her, pulling her out of her thoughts. 

She turned slightly to see the person and almost drooled right then and there. Sitting next to her was the cutest boy she had ever seen. He had messy, curly brown hair that hung in his eyes slightly, which were a deep brown color. His tan, Latino skin was streaked with what looked like soot, as were his white t-shirt, black leather jacket, and blue jeans. Around his waist was a tool belt that he kept reaching into, pulling out random pieces of machinery that she knew for a fact couldn't have fit into the small pockets, but somehow did anyway. He had a grin across his face that made her want to melt. 

At the moment, he was arguing with a girl next to him, who had long, choppy brown hair and kalidescope-like eyes. "Piper, just admit that I'm right. Percy won, fair and square." The girl, who Pheobe assumed was Piper, rolled her eyes. "Gods, Leo. You're trying to make me say that my own boyfriend lost." Leo grinned, nudging her in the side. "Frank, Hazel, and Annabeth agree with me." Piper sighed, exasperation evident in her tone. "Of course Annabeth agrees! She's his girlfriend for gods' sake." Leo's eyes twinkled with mischief. "Just admit that I'm right," he replied.

Piper sighed before slumping back into her seat, twirling a knife between her fingers that Pheobe hadn't noticed was there until that moment. "You're right," she grumbled, staring at the knife's reflective surface. Leo whooped, startling Pheobe. But for some reason, the other campers around them seemed unfazed by Leo's outburst. It was like it was a common occurance. Piper shot him a look, but Pheobe could tell she wasn't actually angry at Leo. Pheobe watched the exchange with interest. The bond between Piper and Leo seemed to run deeper than friendship, as if they'd known each other for a very long time. 

Pheobe dimissed the thought that they were dating, remembering Piper's mention of her boyfriend. Plus, they fought like brother and sister. Chiron cleared his throat, causing everyone to stop talking and turn towards him. He smiled, spreading his hands. "Welcome, demigods, to our nightly bonfire. I have some announcements to start us off. First off, if you are a member of the Hecate cabin, I ask that you stop turning the Stoll brothers into pigs. It's becoming tiresome using all of our ginger supply to turn them back." Laughter echoed throughout the camp. "Plus, the Demeter cabin can't keep up with restocking the supply," someone said. Pheobe realized that it was Katie. 

Chiron nodded. "Moving on, Praetor Reyna from Camp Jupiter will be visiting tomorrow with Praetor Frank and Hazel Levesque to discuss some important matters regarding both camps. I ask that the other five members of The Seven attend this meeting." Pheobe didn't know who "the Seven" were, but Chiron's tone when mentioning them held an air of respect and admiration. 

"What about Nico?" A boy who was sitting in the front row near Chiron asked. He had messy, raven black hair and sea green eyes. "Nico is currently with his father. Apparently there is some kind of issue regarding a new legion of protection for Hades castle that he needed Nico's assistance on. Nico told me that he would try to make the meeting, but he can't promise anything." The boy nodded, sitting back down next to a girl who had curly blonde hair pulled up into a ponytail. 

Chiron cleared his throat, continuing. "As all of you know, tomorrow is our weekly Capture The Flag game." Cheers erupted, the fire burning a bright shade of yellow in response. "The teams leaders will be the Posideon cabin and the Athena cabin." More cheers filled the air, and the boy who had spoken up before smirked, turning to the girl next to him. "It's on, Chase," he said, his tone holding a challenge. The girl's startling grey eyes shone with anticipation as she met his gaze head on. "We'll see, Jackson." 

Pheobe realized that the only reason she could hear them was because the camp had quieted down, their heads moving back and forth from the boy and the girl like they were watching a tennis match. A voice next to Pheobe pulled her out of her thoughts. "Sometimes I think Chiron puts Percy and Annabeth against each other just for the sake of entertainment," Piper mused, twisting a blue feather that was woven into her hair. Leo nodded, his adorable grin spread across his face. "Pipes, they're the two most powerful demigods at this camp. Putting them on the same team would be catastrophic. Remember last year?" Piper grinned, seeming to fall into a memory.

Pheobe's head swirled with questions. That boy and girl - Percy and Annabeth, she guessed - were the two most powerful demigods at camp? Sure, they seemed battle-hardened, but they were Pheobe's age. Pheobe shook her head, pulling herself out of her thoughts in time to catch the end of Chiron's sentence. "...as for anyone who is unclaimed, you will be dispersed among the offense as to not give the Hermes cabin an unfair advantage," he explained, pointedly glancing towards two boys. Pheobe recognized one of them as Travis, Katie's boyfriend. The other seemed to be his younger brother. "Alright. You are dismissed."

People began to stand up and walk away when someone gasped next to Pheobe, causing others to turn towards her. Chiron glanced up, and a knowing expression covered his face. Pheobe turned to see the cause of the commotion until she realized that SHE was the cause of the commotion.

Her skin was glowing light pink, gently casting a light on the campers standing near her. She watched in disbelief as her orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and ratty jeans and sneakers transformed into a gorgeous, off-the-shoulder Greek-style dress adorned with gold ringlets. She pressed a hand to her face, gasping as she felt makeup rub off on her fingers. She could only assume her shoulder-length brown hair was pulled up into some kind of up-do, if the extra weight on her head was any indication. She felt like a real-life Cinderella at the ball. 

Piper grinned, walking up to her. "All hail..." she trailed off as she realized she didn't know Pheobe's name. Pheobe glanced at her, quickly muttering "Pheobe Larson," before looking down at her perfectly polished toenails. She was uncomfortable under all of the attention. "Pheobe Larson, daughter of Aphrodite." Piper finished, her voice strong and clear, almost melodic. Everyone clapped, before heading back to their cabins. 

Piper took Pheobe's hands, forcing her to look her in the eye. "Hey, sis. Welcome to camp!" Pheobe could feel her apprehension lifting a bit. "You're my sister?" Piper nodded, her eyes twinkling. "Half-sister. Aphrodite's my mom too." She laughed at the confusion on Pheobe's face. "I know. I don't look like it. But anyway," she continued, leading Pheobe to an overly pink cabin a few feet away. Pheobe noticed Leo following them, tinkering with a piece of machinery. "I'm the lead counselor. I think you'll really like it here." 

Leo walked up beside Piper. "She's the best counselor this camp has ever seen. Her first year here she put the obnoxious diva Drew in her place after only a month of knowing she was a demigod." Piper smiled, blushing at the compliment. She nudged Leo. "You have a cabin to lead, Valdez. See you in the morning." He smiled, waving goodbye. Pheobe tried not to stare as he walked away. Piper caught her gaze, smiling like she knew something Pheobe didn't, but quickly looked away. "You can sleep in the extra bunk," she said, gesturing to a fluffy pink bed in the corner of the cabin.

Although Pheobe didn't like to admit it, she was excited to be a daughter of Aphrodite. She had always loved romance and had an interest in fashion and makeup. After trying to tame her hair from its elaborate updo for more than a half an hour, Piper took pity on her and told her that the blessing lasts for about a day. When Pheobe finally climbed in bed, all she could think about was Leo. 

**

The next morning, Pheobe sat at the breakfast table, trying hard not to watch Leo joking with his cabinmates as he tinkered with a small piece of sheet metal. One thing she couldn't help but notice was the shard of crystal he wore on his camp necklace in between the beads that represented his years spent at camp. The crystal was beautiful, shifting between colors in the early morning sunlight. Every minute or so, Leo would touch the necklace, fiddling with it. 

When she finished breakfast, she followed Piper and the rest of her siblings to in the direction of the Demeter cabin, where the Aphrodite cabin would be learning a lesson from Katie, the girl Pheobe had met the day before. Currently, Katie was rolling her eyes as her boyfriend Travis slid his arms around her waist, pecking her neck as she chided him for interrupting her preparations for the upcoming lesson. 

Pheobe smiled as she watched the couple. There was no denying how adorably cute they were. Pheobe's gaze caught on a gorgeous teenage girl who was kneeling next to the Demeter cabin, tending to a small patch of a plant Pheobe recognized as moonlace from the crash course Piper had subjected her to the night before. Piper told her she needed to know the basic plants before attending the lesson, which Pheobe thought was a stupid idea but didn't complain. 

The girl looked around seventeen, Pheobe's age, and looked like a literal Greek goddess. She had long auburn hair that fell down her back in waves, with a gold circlet headband resting on the top. She was wearing a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans stained with dirt, but somehow managed to make them look ridiciously amazing. Pheobe watched with an underlying current of jealously as the girl expertly tended to the plant, brushing a strand of her shiny auburn hair out of her face to reveal her eyes. Now, Pheobe had brown eyes as well, but on this girl, they were stunning. 

Pheobe pulled her gaze away as Piper nudged her, leading her closer to the cabin. As Pheobe was walking, she wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping and accidently knocked into the girl. "Oh my gods, I'm so sorry," Pheobe gushed, leaning down to help the girl up. The girl smiled the kind of smile someone in the royal family would as she glanced over Pheobe. "It's okay," she replied, brushing some dirt off of her jeans. "You're new, I'm guessing?" Pheobe nodded. "It's my second day here." The girl stuck out her hand. "I'm Calypso," she introduced as Pheobe shook her hand. "Pheobe, daughter of Aphrodite," Pheobe replied. 

Calypso's eyes twinkled. "I see you still have your mom's blessing," she noted, gesturing to Pheobe's still-perfect clothes and elaborated updo. At that moment, Piper walked to Pheobe's side. "Gods, I remember what that was like. I had to go on my first quest in perfect makeup," she said, rolling her eyes. She hip-bumped Calypso in greeting. "Hey, Cal." Calypso smirked, smiling back at Piper. "Goodluck with those plants. We gotta go unfortunately." Calypso smiled, holding up her shovel. "I'll be here if you need me." 

Piper nodded and led Pheobe away. Pheobe glanced at Piper. "So I'm guessing Calypso is a daughter of Demeter?" Piper laughed goodnaturedly. "No, she's actually not a demigod. She's a goddess, daughter of the Titan Atlas." Pheobe's eyes widened as she realized she had literally been in the presence of a goddess. 

"Then why is she at camp?" "She was imprisoned on an island for three thousand years by the gods because of her involvement in the first Titan War. She was rescued last year after the Giant War and brought to our camp." Pheobe didn't know if she could handle anymore surprises. "Three thousand years? So she's immortal?" Once again Piper laughed, causing Pheobe to become even more confused. "At one time, yes. But after she was brought back here she lost her immortality. She still has her magic, but ages normally like the rest of us."

Pheobe couldn't imagine what that would be like, to live in one place for three thousand years and suddenly lose your immortality. "You said she was rescued. If I were her, I wouldn't want to give up my immortality. Why did she give that up to live here?" Piper smiled, looking Pheobe straight in the eyes. "Love." Pheobe's head spun. Who did she love enough to give up the life of a goddess? 

**

A few hours later, Pheobe was walking along one of the camp's roads when she noticed a light shining in the pavilion. She stepped closer, sliding behind one of the pillars as not to be seen. There, sitting at the Hepastatus table was Leo Valdez, holding a small box as he bit his lip. He seemed nervous and excited at the same time. 

Pheobe strained to hear what he was muttering to himself. "This is for you, Sunshine," he whispered as he finished writing something on a small piece of paper, slipping it into the box. Sunshine? Pheobe thought as she watched him shoot the box a smile. But there was something about the way he looked at the box, or more like what was inside the box, that caught Pheobe's attention. 

Being a daughter of Aphrodite, she knew right away what was written across his face. Lovesickness. Her heart sank a little bit as she realized that meant he had a special someone in his life, and it would never be Pheobe. She was turning to leave when she heard someone enter, catching Leo's attention. His face lit up in pure love as he stood to face whoever had entered. 

Pheobe told herself to leave, but she was too curious, so she stayed put and waited for the person to enter her line of vision. "Hey, Sunshine," Leo exclaimed with a large grin as a gorgeous girl with familiar auburn hair and brown eyes walked up to him. Pheobe's heart cracked a bit when she recognized Calypso. Of course it was the goddess. Leo's love of his life was none other than a literal Titan goddess. 

Pheobe watched with interest as Calypso stepped up to Leo, crossing her arms over her chest with a smirk. "Why am I here at nine in the evening, Leo? You promised you'd start coming back to the cabin earlier," she asked, her voice cracking on the last part of her sentence as she looked down at the floor.

Leo's face softened as he gently hooked a finger under her chin, causing her to look up at him. "And I intend to keep that promise, Cal," he whispered, slipping an arm around her waist. "But first, I have something for you." Her face lit up with interest as he pulled the box from behind his back. She gently lifted the lid off of the box, gasping when she saw what was inside. "Leo," she whispered. 

Phoebe could see the tears glinting in her eyes as she lifted a gorgeous necklace adorned with crystals that looked a lot like the one he had on his own camp necklace. Below the crystals sat a small gold pendant. Pheobe was too far away to read what was carved on the pendant, but apparently it was something important to Calypso as she placed a hand over her mouth when she read it. 

Leo gently moved behind her, brushing her hair out of the way as she handed him the necklace, watching as he clasped it and moved her hair back, which fell down her back in gorgeous waves. Calypso jumped into his arms, burying her face in his chest as he held her. She pulled back, wiping some of the tears from her eyes. 

"Gods, Leo. I don't know what to say." Leo smiled, using his thumb to caress her cheek. "Thank you," she whispered. He smiled, his eyes full of love. "I love you," he answered before capturing her lips, kissing her with what looked like years of passion. 

Pheobe fought to keep the smile off of her face as she watched Calypso kiss him back, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her into him, deepening the kiss. Leo slowly backed up until her legs hit the back of one of the cabin's tables. He gently lifted her onto the table, her legs dangling off the edge as she continued kissing him. 

Pheobe took the time to step away, glancing over her shoulder at the couple. She reached up, gasping as she touched her cheek to discover it was wet with tears. Leo and Calypso's love was so touching, a reluctant daughter of Aphrodite was moved to tears. 

She realized with a start that Leo was the one Calypso fell in love with and gave up her immortality and island for. Pheobe wanted nothing more than to find that kind of love one day. She smiled, wiping her own tears as she walked back to the Aphrodite cabin with a large smile.

**

Phoebe struggled to notch the arrow, scowling with frustation as she missed the target for the fourth time in the past ten minutes. She was about to try to aim again when she heard a voice next to her. "Need some help?" She turned and her heart pounded as she came face to face with the cutest boy she'd ever seen. 

If she was being honest, he was even cuter than Leo, at least in Pheobe's eyes. He had short dirty blonde hair and sparkling green eyes that reminded her of the color of the field behind the Demeter cabin. He smiled a heart-stopping smile, stepping closer to her. Pheobe suddenly became self-concious of her messy hair and clothes, a result of spending all day in the hot sun trying to shoot a target. 

Her mother's blessing had worn off days ago, but Pheobe still tried to dress nice to keep up with her siblings. Unfotunately, she had to meet the cutest boy at the worst moment. She blushed, trying to nonchantly smooth down her hair as she nodded. The boy smiled, causing butterflies to erupt in her stomach. "You just have to keep your arm straight," he explained, gesturing to her crooked arm clutching the bow.

She nodded, straightening her arm and lifting the bow. She sucked in a breath as he slid his arms around her shoulders, his chest pressed against her back as he adjusted her stance, hooking an arrow in the slot for her. He smelled impossibly good, like a mixture of pine and all things good about summer. Pheobe shot the arrow, holding her breath as it sailed towards the target, landing perfectly in the bullseye.

She spun around, her gaze locking with his as a large smile that matched hers spread across his face. "Thank you," she said, stepping closer to him in a surge of confidence that seemed to come out of nowhere. Later, Pheobe would realize that her mom was watching the encounter, gifting her with the confidence to make the decision that would change her life in the best possible way. 

He smiled, causing her blush to deepen. "I'm Noah," he replied, his gaze clashing with hers as the space between them became smaller with each passing second. "Pheobe," she whispered, close enough to him that she could see the small flecks of gold in his green eyes. As she shook his outstreched hand, tingles shot up her arm. Pheobe knew without a doubt that things were about to change, for the better. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is something out of my normal comfort zone but I thought I'd give it a shot! I hope y'all like Pheobe, she was fun to write. 
> 
> P.S. - I have a bonus epilogue for Pheobe and Noah that I might post later if anyone wants to read it! 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought! Any feedback is greatly appreciated :)


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